Papal visit: Pope ends historic visit to Ireland

Image caption The Pope waved goodbye to dignitaries, including Irish Prime Minister (Taoiseach) Leo Varadkar, before his plane left for Rome

Pope Francis has begged forgiveness for members of the Catholic Church’s hierarchy who “kept quiet” about clerical child sex abuse.

He was ending a two-day visit to the Republic of Ireland by celebrating a Mass at Dublin’s Phoenix Park.

The Argentine Pope asked forgiveness for the “abuses in Ireland, abuses of power, conscience and sexual abuses” perpetrated by Church leaders.

It was the first papal visit to Ireland for 39 years.

The Pope waved goodbye to dignitaries, including Irish Prime Minister (Taoiseach) Leo Varadkar, before his plane left for Rome.

Earlier, he said no-one could fail to be moved by stories of those who “suffered abuse, were robbed of their innocence and left scarred by painful memories”, and reiterated his wish to see justice served.

The Tuam home was one of 10 institutions in which about 35,000 unmarried pregnant women are thought to have been sent.

Large crowds also attended a Stand4Truth event in Dublin to show solidarity with victims of clerical sex abuse.

Image copyrightPA

Image caption Anti-Church protesters gathered at the General Post Office (GPO) on O’Connell Street in Dublin

Meanwhile, a former top Vatican official called on the Pope to resign, saying the pontiff knew about allegations of sex abuse by a prominent US cardinal for five years before accepting his resignation last month.

In an 11-page letter, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano said he had told Pope Francis in 2013 that Cardinal Theodore McCarrick had faced extensive accusations of sexually abusing lower-ranking seminarians and priests.

The Vatican has not responded to these claims – and Archbishop Vigano has not produced any written or other evidence to verify his conversation with Pope Francis.

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Media captionIreland – between two popes

Correspondents say the timing of his letter, released to coincide with the Pope’s landmark visit to Ireland, has raised questions about whether this is a co-ordinated attack from traditionalists within the Catholic hierarchy who oppose Pope Francis.

Since the Polish pope’s visit, there have been huge changes in public attitudes to social issues including abortion, contraception, divorce and same-sex marriage.

The country voted for constitutional change on same sex-marriage in 2015 and voted overwhelmingly to overturn its strict abortion law in May.

Pope Francis heard Mr Varadkar, a gay man, speak out against the traditional Catholic teaching on the family.

The taoiseach said that the Republic of Ireland had modernised its laws, “understanding that marriages do not always work, that women should make their own decisions and that families come in many forms” – including those headed by a lone parent, same-sex parents or parents who are divorced and remarried.

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